Background

In Belgium, car usage accounts for 65% of all trips made and over 48% of these trips are estimated to be made by cars with a single vehicle occupant. Belgian roads are among the most congested in Europe. In the most recent study on modal split in Flanders (2012), only 4% of respondents answered that carpooling is their main mode for commuting. Taxistop investigated the average number of days which carpoolers share their car during the week. Most carpoolers do not carpool every day, and are not recognized as carpoolers in modal split rates, as carpooling is not their main mode for commuting. Although the frequency of occasional carpooling, or carpooling a couple of days a week, is increasing.

Research by TML estimated that there would be 25% reduction in congestion if every commuter would carpool at least once a week. There are some good practices in Belgium, although in a feedback questionnaire on the Flemish Mobility Policy 2020, 75% of respondents answered that they were enthusiastic about more carpool actions. This suggests significant potential still exists without requiring major infrastructural investments. The CHUMS measures can have a significant impact on this potential. The city of Leuven is a key city within the “Flemish box” (Antwerp-Brussels-Leuven-Gent).

Introduction

Leuven offers a city site with a good mix of smaller and bigger employers located in the city center of just outside of the city center. The city center can be easily reached by public transport and more durable ways of transport (e.g. bicycle), but is quite hard to navigate through by car. The companies just outside the city center can be easily reached by public transport, but there are some main traffic roads, which makes these companies more accessible by car (in comparison to companies in the center).

Leuven wants to create a durable, cozy, car-free inner city core and is committed to the maximum for eco-friendly transport. That’s why the city promotes walking, cycling and public transport. All Leuven residents are motivated to move on a more durable, healthier, even cheaper way and in the end make them realize they can also do without a car.

The city of Leuven already is promoting carpooling with its residents. With CHUMS, we hope to boost this further and reach a large number of employees working in and around Leuven (starting with the selected companies). (Leuven even provides Carpoolparkings: at the motorway entrances and exits of the E40 and the E314.)

Ambitions and expectations

Since the participating companies deal with mobility and transport problems, with the CHUMS project we hope to obtain a better accessibility for these companies (and maybe, upscale it to the larger city of Leuven). The collaboration with CHUMS is one of many initiatives taken by Leuven and the companies in Leuven to make the region a highly mobile yet environmental friendly region to live and work in.

Imec is one of the biggest employers in Leuven and through the collaboration with the CHUMS project, Imec hopes to achieve the following objectives: a direct reduction in the CO2 emissions resulting from daily commutes by its employees and a reduction in the disadvantages linked to solo-car use (parking spaces, congestion, etc.).

CHUMS package

Check the articles on the right to get updated information on the implementation of the CHUMS package measures in Leuven.

http://chums-carpooling.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/slide2.jpg340950Chumshttp://chums-carpooling.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CHUMS-logo-300x218.pngChums2015-11-25 09:57:482015-11-26 14:11:16Taxistop has secured the participation of the first organizations that will implement the CHUMS measures

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